When I began writing for this newspaper, I told myself, "No causes. Don't bore people or offend anyone." This week, as I called a few neighbors to work on our neighborhood National Night Out, I thought, hmm…not really a cause, just a cause for celebration. So I'm breaking my own rule.
     Tuesday, August first, is National Night Out, a night designated to "Give crime a going away party." This will be our twin-home community's fifth get-together. The street will be blocked off (Thanks to the Public Works Department.), police officers will pull up in a squad car and firefighters will arrive in a fire truck. We will chat and eat–my idea of a good party.
     It's too bad we didn't have a National Night Out when I was five years old. It would have been a good way to meet people when my family moved to our new house. Instead, Mom told my sister and me to go to the houses next to ours to see if they had any children who could come over and play. "Don't go inside," she said. "Just ask at the door."
     It was only adults in those two homes so Mom let us go to the houses next to them. Still no luck. We ventured one house further and met a girl my age. She and her mother came over to meet Mom and everyone became friends.
     If Mom had let me cross the street I would have met my very best friend sooner. I didn't meet her until the first day of school when we rode the bus together. The bus was a good place to make friends.
     My very best friend had a tiny dog with the bark of a Doberman. I did my imitation of the dog on the bus one day to the appreciation of my fellow riders. Their laughter and applause spurred me to take the howling and yipping to a higher level. It reached the ears of the driver who yelled at me to, "Can it, kid." When we arrived at school the driver told the kindergarten teacher. My punishment was to sit under the teacher's desk during play time, the sentence for naughty kids. I was told to think about my crime but all I remembered was the reaction of my audience.
     I am allowed to cross the street now but National Night Out has proven to be a better way to meet the other "kids" on the block and get everyone out to play.
     I hope you're planning to be a part of your neighborhood's get-together. If nothing's been organized, call Officer Rosa of the Rosemount Police Department (651-423-4491) by July 24th and get the ball rolling. Believe me; it's easy and you'll get a lot out of it.
     We had donuts and pop the first year, root beer floats and door prizes the second year. You can make it fancy, or keep it simple. You can sit around like we do, or play games and have entertainment. You can even bark like a dog if you think it will make your neighbors laugh.
     There are just two simple rules: turn on your outside house lights and give crime a going away party. You'll be glad you did.